How Personality Shapes Beliefs about Luck and Superstition: A Study

What the Luck and Superstition Survey Revealed About Personality

Do you knock on wood? Carry a lucky charm? Walk into situations expecting things to go your way? Or do you roll your eyes at all of the above? How people think about luck and superstition reveals a lot – how they read random events, how much control they believe they have, and whether they see the universe as friendly or indifferent. These aren’t just quirky habits; they reflect deeper patterns in how we think, feel, and make choices.

To explore how personality relates to beliefs about luck and superstition, we created the “Luck and Superstition” survey, covering 17 questions on self-perceived luckiness, making one’s own luck, superstitious identity, the role of luck in decisions, and curiosity about whether superstitions might be real. Over 7,000 people responded, across all 16 personality types. The results show that personality doesn’t just shape whether someone feels lucky – it shapes how they define luck, respond to it, and let it guide their choices.

Cross-Cutting Patterns in the Data

The most consistent pattern in the survey around feeling lucky is the divide between Extraverted and Introverted. Across the four different Roles, Extraverts were roughly 15 percentage points more likely to consider themselves luckier than most, to report frequent good luck, and to expect luck to show up for them. The same event an Extravert calls lucky, an Introvert may shrug off as unremarkable – a sign that outward confidence colors how people read their own experiences.

The Feeling and Thinking divide was the strongest predictor on superstition and emotional responses to luck. Feeling types were about 14 points more likely to call themselves superstitious, 15 points more likely to let luck guide their decisions, and 12 points more open to a new superstition. Thinking types, by contrast, were more ready to defy superstitions. The split is less about credulity than about whether emotional impressions count as valid information at all.

The Judging and Prospecting split showed up most clearly around self-made luck. Judging types were about 11 points more likely to believe they make their own luck, favoring tangible, direct action. Prospecting types were more likely to credit luck as a real outside force and to let a feeling of fortune steer their choices in the moment.

Just as telling is where the types converge. Nearly all of them put in extra effort when a task blends skill and chance, even those who don’t believe in luck, and the vast majority are curious whether superstitions might be real. Beneath the differences, then, runs a shared practical instinct and a common appetite for understanding the unknown.

How Lucky Do Different Personalities Feel?

Feeling lucky isn’t just about what happens to you – it’s also about how you interpret what happens. Our survey data reveals a striking divide between personality types when it comes to self-perceived luck. Extraverted types consistently see themselves as luckier and report more frequent good fortune, while Introverted types are far more likely to view themselves as unlucky. This gap holds across both questions in this section and suggests that personality plays a significant role in shaping how people frame their experiences with chance.

Perceived Luckiness Compared to Others

When asked whether they consider themselves more or less lucky than most people, Extraverted types stood out with noticeably higher self-assessed luck. On average, roughly 43% of Extraverts said they feel luckier than most, compared to about 28% of Introverts. ENTJ personalities (Commanders) were the most likely to feel luckier than most, at 50%, followed closely by ENFJ personalities (Protagonists). At the other end of the spectrum, ISFP personalities (Adventurers) were the least likely to feel lucky at just 23%, with INTP personalities (Logicians) close behind.

The flip side of this pattern is just as telling. Among Introverted types, the rate of feeling less lucky than most people was significantly higher than among Extraverts. ISFPs had the highest rate of feeling less lucky at 34%, and INFP personalities (Mediators) were close behind. This gap likely reflects broader differences in how these personalities process their experiences. Introverted types – particularly those with the Turbulent Identity trait – tend to be more self-critical and reflective, which may color how they interpret the events in their lives. Meanwhile, Extraverts’ natural confidence and outward engagement may help them frame the same kinds of outcomes more positively.

Frequency of Good Luck vs. Bad Luck

The pattern from the previous question held firm when respondents were asked whether they more often experience good luck or bad luck. ESFJ personalities (Consuls) were the most likely to say they experience good luck, with 53% choosing that option. ENFJs and ENFP personalities (Campaigners) also reported high rates of good fortune. Across all Extraverted types, the average rate of reporting good luck was about 46%, compared to roughly 30% for Introverts.

At the bottom of the rankings, ISTP personalities (Virtuosos) reported the lowest rate of good luck at just 25%, with INTPs not far behind. Meanwhile, ESTJ personalities (Executives) reported the lowest rate of bad luck. The largest group across most Introverted types chose the neutral option – “about the same” – suggesting that many of these personalities don’t strongly identify with either good or bad luck. This measured, even-keeled response fits well with the more reserved and analytical nature of Introverted types, who may be less inclined to attribute their outcomes to luck in the first place.

Personality and the Belief in Making Your Own Luck

Beyond simply feeling lucky, most respondents believe they play an active role in shaping their own fortune. But the strength of that belief – and what people actually do about it – depends heavily on personality. Types with the Judging trait are the most likely to feel that they create their own luck, while Prospecting types are more skeptical. The methods people use differ in telling ways too, with Thinking and Feeling types gravitating toward very different approaches. And how often people take deliberate action follows familiar personality patterns, with Extraverts far outpacing Introverts.

Belief in Self-Made Luck

The majority of respondents agreed that they make their own luck, but the range across personality types was striking. ESTJs led the way, with 83% agreeing they make their own luck, while ISFPs were the only type where fewer than half agreed, at 48%. The Judging trait proved to be the strongest predictor of this belief – about 69% of Judging types agreed they make their own luck, compared to roughly 58% of Prospecting types. Types that prefer structure and planning, it seems, also tend to believe their efforts directly shape the outcomes they experience.

By Role, Explorers stood apart as the most skeptical group, averaging only about 54% agreement that they make their own luck. This fits their preference for spontaneity and going with the flow – for Explorers, luck may feel more like something that happens than something you engineer. The other three Roles – Analysts, Diplomats, and Sentinels – all clustered closely together at around two-thirds agreement. Despite their many differences, these three groups share a belief that personal action matters, even if the reasons differ. Sentinels may emphasize discipline and responsibility, while Analysts tend to trust in their own strategic thinking.

Tangible vs. Intangible Approaches

Among those who try to create their own luck, the approach they choose depends largely on the Thinking and Feeling trait divide. Tangible action – direct engagement, seeking opportunities, and communication – was the top choice overall. ESTJs led in choosing tangible action at 73%, and INTJ personalities (Architects) also leaned heavily in this direction. Across all Thinking types, only about 16% chose intangible methods like prayer, visualization, or meditation. Among Feeling types, that number rose to around 25% – a meaningful gap that reflects how differently these groups engage with the world.

INFJ personalities (Advocates) and INFPs were the most drawn to intangible approaches, choosing methods like prayer and visualization at rates of roughly 29% and 32%. These types tend to value inner experience and emotional connection, so it makes sense that they’d gravitate toward practices rooted in belief and intention. On the other end, ISFPs and ISTPs were the most likely to say they don’t try to make their own luck at all – for some types, the whole concept of deliberately shaping one’s fortune simply doesn’t fit how they see the world.

Frequency of Deliberate Efforts

How often do people actually try to influence their luck? ENFJs reported the highest daily rate by far at 41%, while ISTPs and ISTJ personalities (Logisticians) had the lowest daily rates, each at roughly 12%. ISTPs also posted the highest “never” rate at nearly 33%, while fewer than 8% of ENFJs said they never try to influence their luck. The contrast between these types could hardly be clearer.

The Extraversion-Introversion divide was especially pronounced on this question. When combining “daily” and “weekly” responses, about half of all Extraverts reported making at least weekly efforts to influence their luck, compared to roughly a third of Introverts. This pattern reinforces the broader theme: types that believe they shape their own fortune are also the ones most likely to act on that belief. Personality doesn’t just affect whether someone believes in luck – it affects how much energy they invest in trying to tip the scales.

Do Certain Personality Types Expect Luck to Help Them Perform?

Expecting good luck, believing that confidence in luck actually helps, and working harder to offset randomness are three distinct but related attitudes. Our survey data shows that Extraverted types are far more likely than Introverted types to walk into situations expecting fortune to favor them. But when it comes to whether believing in luck truly improves performance, the Feeling trait emerges as the stronger predictor. And nearly every personality type agrees on one thing: when luck is part of the equation, putting in extra effort is a smart response.

Frequency of Expecting Good Luck

When asked whether they often expect to be lucky, ESTP personalities (Entrepreneurs) led all types at 59%, with ENTJs and ESTJs also above 53%. At the other end, INTJs recorded the lowest agreement at just 30%, and other Introverted types – including ISFJ personalities (Defenders) – also fell well below the Extraverted average. Overall, roughly 51% of Extraverted types said they often expect to be lucky, compared to about 36% of Introverted types – those who are naturally outward-focused and confident are significantly more inclined to anticipate good fortune.

The Identity trait adds another layer. Assertive types – more resistant to self-doubt – tend to expect luck more readily than their Turbulent counterparts, who are more likely to brace for disappointment. This fits the broader pattern seen throughout the survey: feeling lucky is closely tied to confidence and emotional temperament. Types that approach the world with self-assurance don’t just report being luckier – they also expect luck to show up for them, which may itself shape how they interpret ambiguous outcomes.

Belief in Luck as a Performance Booster

A strong majority agreed that believing in luck helps them perform tasks where chance plays a role, but agreement varied widely. ENFPs led all types in this belief at 73%, while INTJs were the least convinced at 46%. Across the board, Feeling types averaged about 62% agreement, compared to roughly 54% for Thinking types. This gap makes sense: Feeling personalities tend to value emotional and psychological states as genuine forces in their lives, so the idea that a positive belief – even one rooted in superstition – could influence outcomes feels natural to them.

By Role, Diplomat personality types were the most likely to see belief in luck as helpful, while Analysts were the most skeptical. Even among the skeptics, however, roughly half still acknowledged that belief might play a role – a reminder that the pull of luck as a psychological concept is hard to dismiss entirely. Intuitive types also showed higher agreement than Observant types, suggesting that those more inclined toward abstract thinking and possibility are more open to the idea that mindset matters, even in situations partly governed by chance.

Compensating for Luck with Extra Effort

When tasks involve both skill and luck, most respondents said they put in extra effort to tilt things in their favor. ENFJs led at 68%, with ENTJs and ENFPs close behind. ESTJs were the lowest at 54%, though even that figure represents a clear majority. Compared to the previous two questions, the spread between types was narrower here – suggesting that the impulse to try harder when facing uncertainty is relatively universal.

This question also reveals an interesting nuance: even personality types that don’t expect to be lucky and doubt whether belief in luck helps performance still tend to compensate with effort. INTJs, for example, said they make an extra effort at 63% – well above their rates on the expectation and belief questions. INTPs followed a similar pattern at 59%. This suggests that for more analytically minded types, extra effort isn’t about superstition or optimism – it’s a rational strategy. If luck is unpredictable, the logical move is to control what you can. In this way, the survey data points to a shared practical instinct that cuts across personality differences, even when attitudes toward luck itself vary widely.

How Feelings of Luck Shape Personality Types’ Decisions

Luck doesn’t just color how people see the world – it can actively steer their choices. Some personality types openly let feelings of being lucky or unlucky guide their decisions, while others refuse to let perceived fortune factor in at all. The divide falls along familiar lines, with the Feeling and Prospecting traits playing an outsized role. And when people are asked how much of their lives they actually owe to luck, the answers reveal a philosophical split that runs deeper than simple optimism or pessimism.

Decisions Based on Feeling Lucky

ENFPs were the most likely of all types to say they often make decisions based on feeling lucky, with 53% agreeing. ESFP personalities (Entertainers) were close behind at 51%, and INFPs also posted a notable 42%. These three types share the Feeling and Prospecting traits – a combination that seems to make people especially open to acting on a gut sense that fortune is on their side. On the other end of the spectrum, several Thinking and Judging types fell below 15%, with ESTJs bringing up the rear at just 13%.

This question produced one of the widest gaps in the entire survey – a 40-point spread between the highest and lowest types. For personalities that prioritize structure and logic, “feeling lucky” simply isn’t a valid input for making choices. For Feeling and Prospecting types, however, a sense that things will work out can be a perfectly good reason to take a chance. The divide isn’t about carelessness versus responsibility – it reflects genuinely different relationships with uncertainty. Some types treat hunches about fortune as noise to be filtered out, while others treat them as meaningful signals worth following.

Decisions Based on Feeling Unlucky

When the question flipped to unluckiness, the rankings shifted in a revealing way. INFPs took the top spot at 48%, followed by INFJs and ENFPs, both close behind at about 41%. Unlike decisions based on feeling lucky – which were led by Extraverts – this pattern was driven by Introverted Feeling types. ISTJs again posted the lowest rate at 24%, with ESTJs and ESFJs not far ahead. The Thinking and Judging combination remained the strongest buffer against letting feelings of bad luck influence choices.

The rise of Introverted Feeling types here is significant. INFPs, for example, scored high on both questions – they’re willing to let feelings of fortune shape their decisions whether those feelings are positive or negative. This emotional responsiveness makes sense for a type known for deep sensitivity and strong internal reactions. These types tend toward deep introspection and heightened emotional responsiveness, which could make a passing sense of bad fortune feel weightier and more personal. For types less inclined to dwell on internal feelings, the same fleeting impression might barely register as a factor worth considering.

Crediting Life Outcomes to Luck

Across nearly every personality type, the most popular answer to how much of their current life situation they owe to luck was “Some of it.” This middle-ground response suggests that most people see luck as a real factor without treating it as the whole story. ENFPs were the most generous in crediting luck – about 19% chose “All” or “Most,” and only 4% said “None.” INTJs leaned in the opposite direction, with roughly half choosing “Little” or “None” and only about 11% saying luck accounts for most or all of their circumstances.

This split reflects a deeper philosophical difference. Feeling types, especially Diplomats, tend to acknowledge the role of circumstances, timing, and relationships in shaping where they’ve ended up. This isn’t passivity – it can represent a genuine awareness of how much in life lies beyond personal control. Thinking types, particularly INTJs and ENTJs, are more inclined to see their outcomes as products of their own effort and strategy. The fact that ENFPs had the lowest “None” rate in the survey – meaning nearly all of them credit luck with at least some influence – speaks to a worldview where life is seen as a blend of agency and fortune, rather than something earned or engineered alone.

Superstitious Identity and Susceptibility across Personality Types

How superstitious are people, really? And does personality predict whether someone would laugh off a new superstition or quietly start heeding it? The data paints a consistent picture. Feeling types – especially Diplomats – are the most likely to identify as superstitious, the least willing to defy superstitions outright, and the most open to letting a new one shape their behavior. Thinking types, led by INTJs, sit firmly at the opposite end. These three questions together reveal a clear spectrum of superstitious susceptibility, with personality acting as one of the strongest predictors of where someone falls on it.

Self-Rated Superstition Levels

When asked how superstitious they consider themselves, ENFPs led all types – about 56% rated themselves as at least “somewhat superstitious.” ENFJs and INFPs followed close behind, making Diplomat personality types the most superstitious Role overall, with roughly 53% identifying as at least somewhat superstitious. At the other end, ISTJs and INTJs were the least likely to claim the label, each with only about 29–30% selecting “somewhat” or “very.” Analysts and Sentinels clustered together at the skeptical end of the scale, though the difference between these two Roles was modest.

The Nature trait proved to be the clearest dividing line. About 48% of Feeling types said they’re at least somewhat superstitious, compared to roughly 34% of Thinking types – a gap of 14 points. This pattern held even within shared Roles: Feeling-oriented Sentinels like ESFJs and ISFJs were noticeably more superstitious than their Thinking counterparts, ESTJs and ISTJs. The data suggests that emotional attunement and openness to intangible experience – qualities tied to the Feeling trait – make people more willing to acknowledge superstitious tendencies. Meanwhile, Thinking types’ preference for evidence and logic pushes them to dismiss or distance themselves from superstition entirely.

Willingness to Defy Superstitions

If self-identifying as superstitious is one measure, the willingness to actively break superstitions is another. ENTP personalities (Debaters) were by far the most defiant, with 73% saying they’d be willing to defy several superstitions at once. INTJs and INTPs followed close behind, and Analysts as a Role averaged the highest willingness of any group – consistent with their well-documented comfort in challenging norms. On average, about 65% of Thinking types said they’d defy multiple superstitions, compared to roughly 54% of Feeling types, making the Nature trait a stronger predictor here than Energy or Tactics.

ISFJs recorded the lowest willingness at about 48%, and ESFJs were close behind at 49% – the only two types where fewer than half would defy multiple superstitions at once. Both share the Feeling trait and are known for valuing tradition and social harmony, which may make the deliberate violation of long-held superstitions feel unnecessary or even disrespectful. Interestingly, several types who identified as only moderately superstitious in the previous question were still fairly willing to defy superstitions when challenged. For these more pragmatic personalities, the gap between acknowledging superstition as a cultural phenomenon and actually being bound by it appears to be quite wide.

Openness to Adopting a New Superstition

The final question tested susceptibility from a different angle: if someone learned about a brand-new superstition today, would it actually change their behavior? ENFPs were the most open, with about 44% saying it would be at least somewhat likely to affect them over the next year. More broadly, Diplomats as a Role averaged roughly 41% susceptibility – nearly double the Analyst average of about 25%. The Feeling trait again drove the pattern, with Feeling types consistently more open to absorbing new superstitious beliefs than their Thinking counterparts.

INTJs were the most resistant by a wide margin – over 52% chose “very unlikely,” the only type where a majority gave that answer. ISTPs and ISTJs showed similar resistance, with about 45–47% answering “very unlikely.” What’s especially telling is how consistent these results are with the other two questions in this section. The types that rate themselves as superstitious are the same ones open to new superstitions, and the types that dismiss the label are the same ones who say no new belief could affect them. Personality doesn’t just shape how people relate to existing superstitions – it also predicts how open they are to picking up new ones.

How Personality Types View and Value Superstitions

Even among people who don’t consider themselves superstitious, attitudes toward superstition itself vary widely. Some personality types treat all superstitions with equal respect, while others are selective or dismissive. The question of whether superstitious belief is harmless reveals a surprising split, with Sentinels – not Diplomats – emerging as the most forgiving group. And when asked whether they’d want to know if superstitions were actually true, the overwhelming answer is yes – though Intuitive types are especially eager to find out.

Equal Respect for All Superstitions

Among those who do believe in superstitions, most are selective about which ones they take seriously – only about 25% of all respondents said they respect every superstition equally. Feeling types were the most open, with INFPs and ISFPs posting the highest “Yes” rates at roughly 31%. These personalities seem inclined to grant each superstition at least some legitimacy, perhaps out of respect for the traditions and cultures behind them rather than any strong personal conviction. ENFJs and INFJs were close behind, reflecting a similarly nonjudgmental orientation among Diplomat personality types.

The more striking pattern, though, is on the other end. Roughly 44% of Thinking types chose the “I don’t believe in superstitions” option – led by INTJs at nearly 48% – compared to about 30% of Feeling types. This gap of roughly 14 points underscores a fundamental difference: for many Thinking personalities, the conversation about which superstitions deserve respect never really gets off the ground, because they’ve already dismissed the premise entirely.

Perceived Harmlessness of Superstitious Belief

Is believing in superstitions actually harmless? ESFJs were the most likely to say yes at 68%, and Sentinels as a Role averaged the highest agreement of any group at roughly 61% – edging out Explorers and Diplomats. This may seem unexpected, since Sentinels aren’t particularly superstitious themselves. But their deep respect for tradition and social customs likely shapes their view: even if a belief isn’t grounded in evidence, it doesn’t necessarily cause harm if it brings comfort or connects people to their heritage.

Analysts, by contrast, were the most skeptical about superstition’s innocence, averaging only about 45% agreement. ENTJs posted the lowest rate of any type at roughly 42%. For these personalities, the concern isn’t just whether superstitions are silly – it’s whether they might interfere with clear thinking or sound decision-making. This wariness aligns with the Analyst Role’s well-documented preference for evidence-based reasoning. To them, even a seemingly harmless superstition represents a small concession to irrationality, and small concessions can add up.

Curiosity about Whether Superstitions Are Real

When asked whether they’d be interested in finding out if superstitions were actually true, the response was overwhelmingly positive across the board. ENFPs led all types in their curiosity at 87%, with INFPs nearly tied. But even INTJs – who rated themselves among the least superstitious and were among the most willing to defy superstitions – still agreed at about 79%. The near-universal curiosity suggests that regardless of whether people believe in superstitions, the question of their validity taps into something deeper: a fundamental human desire to understand the unknown.

The Intuitive trait was the clearest dividing line. On average, about 84% of Intuitive types said they’d want to know, compared to roughly 72% of Observant types. This gap makes sense: Intuitive personalities are drawn to abstract possibilities and “what if” questions, so the prospect of testing superstitions against reality is inherently appealing to them. For Observant types, who tend to focus on the practical and the concrete, the exercise may feel less urgent. But the fact that even ESTJs – the least curious type at about 63% – still showed clear majority agreement says something important: almost everyone, no matter their personality, is at least a little intrigued by the idea that superstitions might be more than just stories.

Why Personality Shapes How We Experience Luck

Across all 17 questions, personality shaped not only whether people felt lucky but how they defined luck, acted on it, and judged the superstitions around it.

The sharpest contrast in the data says it best: over half of ENFPs make decisions based on feeling lucky, while fewer than 13% of ESTJs do – a 40-point spread on a single question. The same word, luck, clearly means something different depending on who’s using it: for some a signal worth acting on, for others just noise.

Yet even the hardest skeptics aren’t immune to luck’s pull. INTJs, who scored among the lowest on superstitious belief and luck-based decisions, still agreed at nearly 80% that they’d want to know whether superstitions were true. The appeal isn’t really gullibility – it’s the very human urge to make sense of a world that doesn’t always follow the rules. Whether you carry a lucky coin or trust only in hard work, the question underneath is the same: how much of life can we actually control? Personality won’t answer that, but it clearly shapes how each of us chooses to live with it.